Stern v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission

**Stern v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission** This case involved a dispute over the firing of a state employee named Stern who worked for Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development. Stern was terminated during or after a probationary period, but there were questions about whether proper procedures were followed and whether certain time limits for filing complaints had been missed. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals sent the case back to the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC) for further review. The court said WERC needed to make two important determinations: first, whether the Department of Workforce Development had given up its right to use a thirty-day time limit as a defense against Stern's complaint, and second, if that defense still applied, whether Stern's probation period had been properly extended according to the law. **What this means for workers:** This case highlights important procedural protections for public employees. It shows that employers cannot always rely on technical time limits to dismiss worker complaints, especially if the employer's own actions contributed to confusion about deadlines. Workers facing termination during probationary periods should pay attention to whether proper procedures are followed and whether time limits are fairly applied.